1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to legs for chairs and more particularly, to a novel leg and cap combination, which is to be used in conjunction with a caster.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chairs, particularly those chairs used in offices, generally comprise a seat and back portion, and a base portion which consists of a chair control mounted on a cylindrical post with a plurality of legs which extend radially outwardly from the base of the post. A caster is usually affixed to the undersurface of each leg at the end thereof, which allows the chair to move about freely.
In order to secure the caster to each leg, a hole is cut in the undersurface of the leg and a caster socket is inserted therein. The stem of the caster is inserted into the socket and secured therein by a conventional means.
The chair leg may be made of any suitable material such as steel, plastic, wood and the like and in order to make an aesthetically pleasing product, the end of the leg must be smooth and continuous. This presents a problem with legs made of a metal or an alloy thereof, or similar material, in that considerable grinding and buffing is necessary after the material is welded to form the leg. With such legs, the terminal portion of the leg must be ground smooth and all weld lines and rough or sharp edges must be removed. This requires a considerable amount of precision work and increases the cost of production substantially. Depending upon the exact shape of the leg, a considerable number of welding and buffing steps are required to produce a smooth and commercially acceptable product, and each such step increases the cost, materials and time required for production.
It is essential in the finished product, that the end of the leg be perfectly smooth. In addition to the problem of aesthetics, the end of the leg must be smooth to prevent any damage which might arise should the user of the chair strike his shoe, stocking or the like on the end or if the end strikes any other piece of furniture. Any sharp edges may cause damage or leave undesired marks on other furniture, even under normal use conditions.